Formation testing and core taking device



' Oct. 20, 1936. o. J. WILLIAMS 2,058,119

FORMATION TESTING AND CORE TAKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 O. J. WILLIAMS FORMATION TESTING AND CORE TAKING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1956 O. rf. WilZLzlams By w amd mfl llome?! Oct. Z0, 1936.

Patented oet. 2o, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' FORMATION TESTINGAND conn p TAKING DEVICE oscar J. williams, akersnela, Calif.

Application January 18, 1936, Serial No. 59,737

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a well tool or implement expressly designedfor the purpose of taking samples or cores of the formation of wellswhere the recovery has not been satisfactory in the taking of theoriginal core and for testing formations that have not previously beencored at various depths.

Classified in greater detail in order to distinguish from various othertypes o f core testing devices, it may be said that the inventionpertains to that special category of devices wherein the y core samplingtool is independent of the regular drill structure and is designed inparticular for collecting and salvaging earth formation after the wellhole has been previously drilled..

By way of comparison with similar prior art devices, I regard theinvention as individual and distinct in that it is characterized by aunique outer casing or shell construction and a telescopng weightedfollower unit telescopically mounted therein and equipped with amultiplicity of diametrically opposed pairs of simultaneously operableprojectable and retractable core taking and retention barrels or tubes.

One feature and advantage which distinguishes the structure as highlypracticable has to do with the adoptiony and use-of a uniquefollower-type carrier unit for the pivotally mounted projectable andretractable core taking unit wherein the barrel portions of said unitare threadedly connected with their special adapter mountings so thatthey may be detached above the surface and the trapped core successfullyretrieved substantially free from excess water and liquid.

Another outstanding factor regarded as a highly feasible improvement hasto do with the adoption of a core or sample taking barrel wherein thelower swingable or free end is tapered and pointed to facilitatepenetrating the wall of the hole, said barrels being provided inwardlyof said tapered ends with resilient retention means allowing theformation to enter the barrel and thereafter preventing it from droppingout by gravity or otherwise.

Additional novelty is predicated upon the incorporation in the asemblageof ball valve means cooperable with ported hanger or mounting blockswhich arrangement provides for the escape of water so as to maintain thecollected formation substantially intact.

More explicitly, the preferred embodiment of the invention relates to anarrangement including a slotted tubular casing to accommodate theinternal carrier or follower for the collector bar.- rels wherein thecarrier functions as valving (Cl. Z55-1) means for the slot and` thebarrels that swing out and provides a successful and dependable holderor mounting unit for the diametrically opposed pairs of freely swingablecore taking barrels.

Numerous other features and .advantages will doubtless become apparentfrom the succeeding detailed description and the accompanyingillustrative drawings. f l

-In the drawings:

Figure l is a view, partly in section, and partly in elevation, showingthe complete assembly and illustrating, in a partial way, the method ofprojection of the core taking barrels.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken approximately on theplane of the line 2-'2 of Figure 1 looking upwardly in the direction ofthe arrow;

Figure 3 is a correspondingly enlarged horlzontal section on the line3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the casingand one of the wall penetrating pendulous type core taking barrels.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the diametricallyopposed relationship of the pairs of barrels and other associated pocketforming details.

From a unitary standpoint it may be said that the structure is composedprimarily of two essential units, that is the relatively stationarycylindrical casing or shell 6 and the relatively movable orreciprocatory follower type barrel carrier and operating unit. Thelatter unit is mounted for sliding movement inside of the casing as isevident.

Considering now the casing means, this comprises an open endedinternally screw-threaded cylinder having `a centrally bored screw plug1 at its top. Incidentally the aperture in this plug is preferablysquare in cross-sectional formation to accommodate the correspondinglyshaped reciprocatory stem 8, on the relatively ovable carrier orfollower unit. This permits he unit to slide up and down in the casingbut revents rotation thereof. At the bottom is an ppropriatelyconstructed screw plug 9 which functionsprimarily as a closure for thelower end and which is also provided with a screw socket lll toaccommodate a depending or hanging string of weights, such as forexample a drill. It is evident that this drill could of course bedirectly coupled into the lower end of the casing if necessary ordesired. In practice the drill or other part attached to the coupling orplug 9 constitutes the means which serves as a stop to engage the bottomof the hole so that by determining the length of the drill in the firstinstance it is possiblel to determine, from the complete depth of thehole, just how far the core taking device, as a complete' assembly, hasbeen lowered into the hole. This in itself constitutes an importantfeature in the discovery.

'I'he internal carrier or follower type unit is differentiated by the'numeral II and is preferably a weighted construction. It includes theaforementioned lowering and hoisting stem 8 and a coupling head I2,constructed to accommodate the hoisting and lowering cable or othermeans (not shown), and to further serve as a stop to engage the plug Iand to determine the downward telescoping movement, or degree oi.movement, of the part II. 'I'his part II may be of one-piece formationand includes a series of longitudinally spaced solid block members I3having intervening H-shaped adapters. Each adapter as shown in Figure 2comprises spaced parallel flanges I4 and a central partition or web I5defining diametriclly opposed pockets. These pockets serve toaccommodate the respective pairs of sample or core taking barrels I6.Inasmuch as each barrel assembly is the same in construction, adescription of one will suiiice for all. Attention is therefore calledto Figure 5 wherein it will be observed that the upper open endedscrew-threaded portion of the barrel is tapped into a socket in theblock-like hanger or mounting. This hanger is pivotally suspended in thepocket by an appropriate pivot pin I8. It is observed that the pivotedend includes a tapered surface I9 which as it swings outwardly and comesin contact with the adjacent surface of the block I3 causing said blockto serve as a stop element 'to limit the outward swinging movement ofthe barrel. 'Ihis gives the weight I3 the additional function of stops.Furthermore each block is bored to provide a recess for a ball checkvalve 20. Associated with the ball check valve is a fluid release orrelief port or orifice 2| which registers with the adjacent verticallyelongated slot in the casing. 'I'his slot is obviously to permit thebarrel to swing in and out to provide the desired projectable andretractable feature. The lower end of the barrel is tapered downwardlyand outwardly as indicated at 22 and terminates in a wall penetratingpoint 23. This permits the barrel to serve as a sort of a miniaturedrill so that it easily bores its way into the wall of the hole (notshown). As the sample or core is fed into the barrel it is retainedtherein by a simple retention device 24. This comprises an annular ring25 with curved spring fingers 26 .properly shaped to allow the dirt togo in but to prevent its downward accidental discharge.l

The tapered surfaces 22 have the additional function of cams' and areengageable with the lower beveled end or edge portion 21 of thel slot asis evident from Figure 4. It is manifest, therefore, that as the casingstops in the hole and the carrier unit I2 continues to ride down, thecams 22 engage the beveled surfaces 21 and this starts to feed thebarrels out into engagement with the wall.

In operation it is evident that the complete sample taking device islowered into the already drilled hole by suitable means (not shown). Asthe device goes down into the hole the parts assume the positions shownin Figure 1 wherein the core taking barrels I6 are retracted completelywithin the casing. This permits free descent of the device. When theclosed bottom of the casing comes in contact with the bottom of the holethe cam elements come into play to start the barrels out and as the unitII comes down further, the barrels swing out in diametrically opposedrelationship and literally dig into the wall of the hole to gathersample formations.

It is also evident that as the plunger-like carrier, which issuiliciently weighted, moves down telescopically into the casing, theblocks I3 then position themselves opposite the major portion of theslot, that is, the portion of the slot above the barrel and themselvesfunction as closing valves. In other words, these blocks I3 are ofsuicient cross-section so as to function as effective closures for theslots above the protruding barrels to prevent water and mud from washinginto the casing and interfering with the upward lift action of this unitII.

It is further clear that as the device is pulled up out of the hole, thepart II goes back to the position shown in Figure 1 and the barrelsswing -into the casing with their trapped cores or samples. 'Ihen too,as previously pointed out, as the dirt lls into the barrel it opens thecheck valve 20 and allows the escape of water through thepassages 2|,thus obtaining an accurate test of the soil and preventing loss of thecore by a wash-out.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawingswill enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had.'I'herefore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within thefield of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

What I claim is:

1. In a structure of the class described, a casing having a pair ofdiametrically'opposed slots, a slide mounted for reciprocation in saidcasing, said slide having portions to serve as closures for the slots,and a pair of diametrically opposed core taking barrels pivotallymounted on said slide and eooperable with said slots.

2. In a structure of theclass described, a carrier unit, a mountingblock pivotally mounted therein, said block being providedv with aliquid discharge orifice and a valve accommodation recess, a sampletaking barrel connected to said block, and a ball check valve cooperablewith the barrel and block as well as the orifice, whereby to relieveexcess water and to insure trapping of an intact sample.

3. In a structure of the class described, a casing having alongitudinally elongated slot, a core taking barrel pivotally mounted inthe casing and projectable through the slot, the lower end of the slotbeing provided with a beveled surface to function as a cam, and theadjacent end of the barrel being beveled to cooperate therewith tofacilitate the initial outward swinging movement of the barrel in themanner and for the purposes described.

4. In a core taking construction of the class described, a verticallyelongated casing adapted to be lowered into a drilled hole, said casingbeing provided at a predetermined point with a pair of diametricallyopposed apertures, a reciprocatory carrier unit slidably mounted in thecasing and provided with self-contained projectable and retractablepivotally mounted sample' taking barrels, said barrels beingdiametrically opposed and in registry with said apertures `and beingautomatically brought into play as said carrier unit drops "down insidethe casing when the descent of the casing has been stopped by the bottomof the hole in the manner and for the purposes described.

5. In a core sample taking structure ofthe class described, a vertically4elongated casing adapted to be 4lowered into a. drilled hole, saidcasing being provided-at a predetermined point described.v

with diametrically opposed longitudinally .elongated slots, areciprocatory carrier unit slidably mounted in the casing and providedwith selfcontained pockets adapted for alignment with said slots, and a.pair of valved independently operable sample taking barrels, saidbarrels be'- s ing pivotally mounted in the pockets and adapted forprojectable and retractable association with the slots in the manner andfor the purposes OSCAR J. WILLIAMS.

